70 Degrees and Hanging Wreaths.

First, a big HAPPY 35th to my good friend, Becky, up in northern Michigan. I hope you have a great day and remember......35 is still a very long, long, LONG way from 40! I hope you got lots of pampering, surprises and love today. Your gift is still sitting on my table waiting to be taken to the post office; hopefully tomorrow!! You know what it is, anyway, so get those new photos ready! Consequently, I just realized that this is also my 35th posting on this blog......if I was a gambling woman, which I'm not, I might have to go and play those numbers! Here's to another 35 years and another 35 posts!

I like a nice, mild-weather day as much as the next woman, but there is something that is just WRONG, WRONG, WRONG about hanging wreaths and pine garland when it is 70 degrees outside. In fact, we no more than finished decorating our front porch before it starting thundering and ended up developing into a huge, loud thunderstorm. Nevertheless, despite the unseasonably warm temperatures, the kids and I enjoyed getting the outside of our home ready for the season. Last year, given that we had only been in our house for two months, we didn't even hang our outdoor decorations. I really, really missed coming home to a house that reflected the holiday cheer. So this year, I look forward to snow flying and coming home to a "Burl and Ives" scene. After dinner tonight, we went for a walk and had to dodge the HUGE earthworms that came out on the sidewalks after the rain.....I would think it was May if I didn't know better!

Two more days of letters of thanks. I have really enjoyed the reflection and soul-inventorying that has gone into these letters. Even though I have not been very good at sending them daily as I had originally planned, I am still glad that these feelings are documented. I still plan to get them written and sent in early December, as I again think it very important not just to think those thank-yous but to say the words to those who have meant so much. Today's letter goes out to my parents who have shaped me and influenced me in so many ways. I know that I was a very strong personality to raise, and I know that we didn't always see eye to eye, but I appreciate so much about how you raised me. How you allowed me to pursue my interests, even though they may not have been your own. How you allowed me to make mistakes and to feel the consequences of those mistakes. For all the umpteen-hundreds of ball games you sat through, cheered me on in, and brought picnics for. For encouraging me in my educational pursuits. For all the cards and care packages as I was away at college and throughout graduate school.....they may have not seemed significant when you sent them, but they meant the world to me as they kept me connected to my roots. For moving me and my belonging to Grand Rapids and to Ann Arbor and to McBain and to Lansing and to Mason and back to McBain and back to Grand Rapids and to Cadillac and to Spring Lake and to........WHEW! Now that I have two beautiful children of my own, I am gaining a better understanding of what it means to nurture, and grow, and blossom a unique human being.....holding tight, but not too tight.......helping them to discover their own unique interests and talents........feeling their pain and triumphs possibly even deeper than they do.......pouring yourself into them. Most importantly, I am so thankful for the faith heritage that you instilled in me. For emphasizing a life lived for Jesus. And now I am passing that legacy down to my own children and am so proud to see them embracing Jesus. Thank you for just being you and for loving each other and for all those times where you hugged and kissed each other in front of us kids, while we all groaned and begged for you to stop. In reality, we loved it. We loved seeing you have affection for each other. And that is so important to a child as they develop an understanding of love, relationship, marriage and commitment. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for believing in me, loving me, and giving me such a critical foundation to pursue God's calling in my own life as a woman, mother, professional, and artist. I love you both very much. I just wanted you to know.

Laughs at Wal-Mart.

Just have to share a funny little story that happened yesterday when I was with my kids in Wal-Mart. We were busy shopping for this and that and, of course, the store was absolutely crazy-busy with people who forget that we still have a full month until Christmas. Anyway, to avoid a particularly large crowd of people, I cut through the ladies' undergarment section. As we made our way with my 3-year-old son in the cart and my 5-year-old daughter following behind, my son yells in a very, VERY loud voice: LOOK, MOMMY! THERE'S LOTS OF BIG BOOBS! Of course, he was referring to all the bras hanging on the racks. I heard several people chuckling and one particular lady who was pretty much guffawing at the top of her lungs! Oh, from the mouth of babes! I love this kid.

Christmas Trees and Little Sisters.

Here are my sweet kids, at the Christmas tree lot with our newly-picked blue Spruce. Oh, and the nice man who helped us pick the perfect tree, gave it a fresh cut, and helped us get it ready for traveling. Yes, you will notice that despite the fact that we got this tree in northern Michigan, there is not one ounce of snow on the ground. It just didn't seem right choosing our tree with green grass and springlike temperatures, but we wanted to get it up north before heading south home where trees are at least double the price. So, we packed the tree in our truck bed and headed home. The tree is ready to be decorated, but given our busy week's schedule, it will likely not get done until next week. I love decorating the tree as a family, and the event must always include Christmas music and hot chocolate stirred with minty candy canes. I am also a stickler for white twinkle lights.....no bright colored lights for this family. We are all about white and classic when it comes to the lights, and the colors come with the ornaments and ribbons and whatever else we choose to adorn the tree with each year.

Wow, we are down to our last few days of November. I am just still wondering where September and October went? My expression of thanks today goes out to my little sister, Haley Jo. OK, so she milked me a little bit for this one, wondering why she hadn't been "featured" on my blog yet, but I really feel so thankful for her in my life. As you can see from the photo, she adds a lot of spice and zest to our lives. She is fun and spunky and downright crazy sometimes. I think that Haley helps me not to take myself so seriously sometimes, and I am so thankful for this perspective that she gives to me and to our family. She is caring, energetic and loves my kids to pieces. And she has one of the most beautiful and whitest smiles I have in my life......can you tell she is a dental hygienist and very particular about her teeth?!! Haley is presently looking to start her career (know of any dentists looking for an excellent hygienist?), and I want my little sister to know that I believe in her 100% and I look very forward to seeing where God will lead her personally and professionally. So Haley Jo, thanks for just being the cute, spunky, energetic, and loving you. You are so beautiful inside and out, and never forget to be confident in your skills, abilities, and how you will change this world for the better. Hope you like my photo choice, little Sis!

Cultivating Gratitude.

I thought that I would share a holiday project that we have been working on in our family. Above are the two family gratitude journals that we created; actually, our whole church family made one in today's family service, and it was incredible to see families working on this project together. The one on the top is one that I made for our family; I plan to have our family make an entry in it each Thanksgiving, hoping that this will become part of our annual family tradition. The one on the bottom is so beautiful to me; it is a journal that my five-year-old daughter made all by herself. Depicted on the front is a drawing of our family that she made. I love all the colors and that she depicted us as a happy and unified family. She tied the ribbons on the rings all by herself, also. Inside, she drew pictures of things that she is thankful for, and this is truly an awesome thing for a mother to see. She drew a photo of a big Thanksgiving dinner....squash included! She drew a picture of "God's beautiful world" and the forest and a pond full of frogs. She drew a church, and craft supplies, and the new antique teacup and saucer that she received over the weekend from her great-Grandma Stahl. She drew her ABC's and said that she is thankful for school and learning to read. She drew rainbows and a unicorn and a picture of our house and backyard. Her gratitude humbles me and reminds me that she is watching me; she is learning from me and her father; and we have an awesome responsibility to continue helping she and Hayden to grow in thankfulness and gratitude to our great and awesome God.

A weekend for the soul.

This past weekend was just beautiful, refreshing. Truly medicine for the tired and stressed-out soul. Like many of you, my family traveled quite a bit on the day before Thanksgiving and on Thanksgiving day, making sure that we spent time with each of our families. But, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, we stayed in one place and pretty much just rested....OK, we ate a bit too, but it was so, so nice. Thursday night, all day Friday, and Saturday morning consisted of many simple pleasures. Homecooked food. A beautifully set table. Playing cards and games. Resting on the couch. Reading. Napping. A little bit of scrapbooking. Playing. Hiking in the woods. Lots of talking and laughing and just connecting as an extended family. Sometimes, the holidays get so rushed and full of "stuff" that we don't get to enjoy these pleasures, but this weekend was just full of these joys. It reaffirms to me what the holidays should truly be about...not driving from place to place and fancy parties......but quieting and connecting and resting and just being together.

It actually makes me very sad what Thanksgiving has become for so many.....just the introduction to the Christmas shopping scene. It is horrifying to see how many stores are now open on Thanksgiving day, as if opening at 5 am on the day after is not crazy enough. Many, it seems, have come to equate Thanksgiving with frenzied shopping and unbridled spending. Quite frankly, I hate this trend. Thanksgiving should be about holiness. About quiet blessings. About family and being together. About celebrating an amazing bounty. Yet, our world insists on making it about commerce and making more money and accumulating more stuff that we really don't need. This is why I am making the conscious decision not to participate in the Thanksgiving and post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy. It's a principle thing, to me. It's too easy to get caught up in the quest, the race, the competition, the crazed buying.....and it makes it impossible to focus on the true God-centered reason for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

But now we are back home, and a new week looms in front of us. For me, two more weeks of classes before final exams, and four more weeks of school for my daughter and husband. When we pulled back into the neighborhood yesterday, many of our neighbors were out hanging their Christmas wreaths and lights. I have purchased a few small gifts and have my decorations organized, but still have a lot of things to do. I love Christmas.....the sentiment, the lights, the sheer beauty, the peace, the glimmer. But I very, very much want to make a more conscious effort to focus on the peaceful, quiet, holy side of the Christmas season. We try to do this by avoiding the mall during peak busy times. By taking our kids to the live nativity at a local petting farm. By doing a simple advent countdown each night of December. By constantly reminding our kids of Jesus' birth and the manger and Bethlehem. By playing quiet, peaceful Christmas music that speaks of Christ's birth. Yes, we love the fun side of Christmas--the jingle bells, the parties, the festivities, the Ho-Ho-Ho's--but it is the quiet, sentimental, holy aspects of Christmas that we want to take center stage in our home.

Here it is....the 26th day of November, meaning that I have 5 more days of my gratitude letters to give. And I must make a confession: So far, I have yet to actually send one letter. Yes, I have them composed in the form of this blog, but November just got away from me and I have yet to get them in the mail. Point taken. Slow down. Take time to not just write the letters but to actually send them. Say the words that need to be said and that need to be heard.

Today's letter of thanks goes out to my Grandma Stahl. She is pictured in the family picture above as she shared Thanksgiving dinner with our family. Grandma is a beautiful, strong soul who has now been moved to a nursing home and has been affected by the moderate stages of Alzheimer's disease. This weekend, my sister and I both acquired some of my Grandma's belongings....among our favorites were some old kitchen utensils, aprons, a lava lamp that we used to watch as kids, and a nut cracker set that my Grandpa always had sitting on the small table next to his chair. It is fun to think about Grandma in the kitchen of her small McBain house, wearing those aprons and using those wooden-handled utensils. She was a very hard-working woman who canned her own food, heated water manually for dishes and baths, cooked meat-and-potato meals at least twice each day, and had only an outhouse outside her home for bathroom needs. It has been hard to see her strong body weaken, her memory fade, and her confusion heighten. It has been hard to see her have to move from her house to an apartment and now to a nursing home. But the strength of her spirit is still so present. She has tremendous faith and always speaks of how good God has been to her, even in the midst of pain and loss. I have so many fond memories of childhood time spent with Grandma and Grandpa--taking baths in the old washtub, playing Lincoln Logs and baby dolls in the rickety upstairs attic, sitting on her chenille bedspread looking through her jewely, eating Tums like candy (!), and watching the lava lamp in the front sitting room window. Thank you, Grandma, for your strength and your faith. You are an incredible picture to me, your granddaughter, and to your great-grandkids on running the race to the very end. My daughter, Kennedy, got a very special teacup and saucer that used to be Grandma Stahl's, and it is fun to see how careful she has been with it. She calls it her "special teacup and saucer from Great-Grandma." I love that my daughter seems to have an inherent sense of how special this heirloom is, and I love that my kids have a chance to see, spend time with, and know their great-grandmother.

Thanksgiving Eve Thoughts.

So here it is......Harvest Swirl cheesecake, and it looks absolutely delectable! My daughter took a taste of the toffee and decided that she didn't like it, but I really think it will add a nice "cacophony" of flavors! Funny, while I cherish making these cheescakes every year, I usually don't even get to taste it because it is such a popular choice by my family members at dessert time, but that's OK.....I snuck a few butterscotch chips in the process!

It felt wonderful to sleep in until 8:30 this morning. I then got some quality cuddle time with my two kids. I think that is one of my very, very favorite things about being a mom. I love it when they crawl into bed with me on the mornings when we have a little bit of down time before having to begin our day. Usually, each one takes a side and one of my arms, and they cuddle right into me. My son has the cutest way of saying, "Mommy, I need you to cuddle me." Melts my heart every time. And he is so good about choosing random times to say, "Mommy, I love you!" in the way that only he can. And my daughter, she just needs to be touching me skin to skin. That contact is so, so important for their development. It is neat to see this. From the time she was a very small baby, I made a point to have lots of skin-to-skin contact with her, whether after bath time or me just massaging her back or rubbing her arms. Now, there are times when she will take her shirt off and just lie next to my arm. And people never outgrow that need for skin-to-skin contact, so on this day before Thanksgiving, be sure to give someone a hug, touch someone on the arm with your hand, and make sure to affirm them in this way. It can be a simple yet very powerful connection with another human being. This is true for adults as well as children......we all need a little love--of the skin-to-skin variety!

OK, I'm not sure how the psychologist in me took the tangent of the proven benefits of skin-to-skin contact for development.....but back to our regularly scheduled show! Here we are, on the day before Thanksgiving, and of course, my to-do list is quite long. Plate and wrap the cheesecakes. Finish the cheese dip. Return the movies. Drop off a CD to church for Sunday's service. Pack our suitcases. Stop at the scrapbook store to take advantage of their sale on adhesives. Send a few last-minute e-mails. And somewhere it between, make sure to give thanks. It is really so hard, in the busyness, to maintain a conscious awareness of gratitude. Does anyone else struggle with this? Last year, after Thanksgiving, I stopped and realized something that I found so sad: I spent time with family, I said a quick prayer, I enjoyed a beautiful meal, I played cards, I played with my kids. I even watched a little football. But not once on Thanksgiving did I stop, quiet my spirit, and really reflect on the blessings that God has given me. I vowed that this year, I would take some time on Thanksgiving day to be alone and to thank God. Just He and I. So that is a date that I am keeping tomorrow, and I encourage you to do the same. Gratitude is a matter of the soul, and it can be easily suffocated with the busyness and travel and football and food of the season. Happy Thanksgiving, and may this be the year where you (and I) take a step closer toward a true life of gratitude.

Harvest Flurry Cheesecake....Yummy.

My daughter and I are presently preparing for one of our beloved pre-Thanksgiving traditions: The annual making of our secret-recipe Harvest Swirl cheesecake. Our kitchen counter is scattered with the likes of brown sugar, butter, bricks of cream cheese, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, white chocolate, cinnamon and nutmet. The stand mixer is poised and ready to create this creamy and decadent confection. More to come as we progress in the baking process......

.....the Harvest Flurry cheesecakes are now in the oven baking to a golden brown perfection, and the kitchen is cleaned (well, nearly cleaned!). Kennedy and I had so much fun making these cheesecakes....though I was a bit frustrated to find us out of cornstarch and having to run to the store in the middle of our baking session. She particularly enjoyed cracking the eggs, sprinkling the chocoloate chips, and operating the stand mixer. She was so proud to be helping Mommy by doing these important jobs all by herself. It's funny.....I can remember so clearly making this cheesecake just a few months after she was born. I have a photo of me making the cheesecakes while she sat on the counter in her bouncy seat right next to me. Maybe that is why I enjoy this tradition so much--it all started when my sweet girl was a new baby and it has continued every year to date. It reminds me of our beginnings, of how very blessed we are as a family, and of many Thanksgivings to come when I will hopefully be able to share this tradition and recipe with my children and, someday, grandchildren. Of course, the recipe gets tweaked a bit each year. Two years ago, I wondered what the cheesecake--which started off as a pretty run-of-the-mill chocolate pumpkin cheesecake--would be like with some butterscotch and white chocolate chips, and it was a hit. This year, in addition to chocolate, white and butterscotch chips, I decided to add a few toffee sprinkles to the Harvest swirl, so I'll let you know how it turns out!

Tonight, in addition to being thankful to have the gift of baking with my kids for another year, I am thankful for tradition. For roots that anchor us to our past while enriching the present and encouraging us to anticipate and embrace the future. I am also thankful that the kids don't have school tomorrow, which means that we can sleep in for the first time in a very long time....don't expect any early-morning blogging from this tired Mommy tomorrow morning!

So Thankful.

This picture definitely speaks for itself. Thankful to be the mom of these two precious human beings. Thankful for each and every time they wrap their little arms around me. Thankful for the gift of soothing their ouchies, sharing in their new discoveries each and every day, and helping them discover the unique people who God hand-crafted them to be. Thankful for the wonderful man--my husband Matt--who shares in the awesome responsibility of parenting them. Thankful for our health and strength and prosperity. Thankful for living in a country where we can actively and fully live out our faith in Jesus Christ and His calling on our lives. Thankful for all the people who have poured into Matt, myself, and our kids. Thankful for so many wonderful educational opportunities in my lifetime--past, present and future. Thankful for having an art that helps me to live a deeper, more reflective, more colorful, more aware life. So very, very thankful.

A Child's Prayer.

Wow, this is the longest that I have gone without posting since I started this blog in October. But, I was out for the weekend scrapping with my good friend, Mindy, and we just had an incredible time of connecting and creating. It is amazing that although pretty much the only time that I spend with Mindy is when we are scrapping (or sometimes over an event with our kids aka Disney on Ice), I count her as an amazing blessing in my life. There is just something that happens when you create scrapbooks with someone; as we create, we share and reminisce and share and just be together. And it is wonderful. Simple and wonderful. During our time scrapping, Mindy and I have shared joys, triumphs and just plain confusions on the topics of marriage, mothering, weight, God and just trying to be a faithful and faith-focused woman. It is a neat relationship, and one that I cherish. Thanks, Mindy. I am looking forward to many, many more scrapping sessions together.

Today, in addition to being thankful for Mindy, I am thankful for children and, more specifically, their prayers. Yesterday, our church children's program completed a service project wherein we are collecting, packaging, and donating underwear, socks and blankets to our local community outreach ministry. The kids worked so hard on sorting, packing, and making cards to accompany the donations. The photo above is my daughter working on tying the edges of fleece blanket to send to a child who has no blanket. Then, we all gathered in a circle around the packed boxes and prayed. And to hear those sweet little voices lift those words of praise to God....wow, my tears started flowing. "Help us to help people and follow God." "Thank you for beds and blankets." "Thank you for the beautiful world." "Help these people be warm and know You." "We love you, Jesus." These kids get it. Really get it. This is why God called us to have faith like children. It is simple yet so, so profound. It is basic yet so complicated. And so, these kids ministered to my heart is a powerful way yesterday, and I am thankful for each one of them.

Just Passin' Through.

God brought to mind a simple yet profound thought this morning: This is not my home. It reminds me of the beloved classic hymn that states "This world is not my home, I'm just a passin' through." There is so much about this world that I love, and three of them are depicted above. My kids, sunsets on Lake Michigan, and sunflowers. But as beautiful and precious as these things are to me, I am so aware that they pale in comparison to what heaven will be like. What will it be like to dance with my children at the throne of Jesus? To hear His voice whisper our names and to feel his strong arms around us? If the sunsets on Lake Michigan are this gorgeous, what will they be like in heaven? And the flowers....oh, heaven's flowers must be beautiful and fragrant beyond imagination. So, when the pain, pressure and frustration of this life heighten, these words are so sweet...this world is not my home, I'm just a passin' through.

My thank-you of the day today is going out to my cherished friend, Becky. Becky and I have been friends since junior high when we met in line at orientation. Becky and I shared so many important growing-up experiences together........and, most importantly, we always shared our faith and commitment to growing in Christ. Thanks, Becky, for being a true friend. I admire that you are an incredible mom to your three beautiful children; that you are so talented in music and photography; and that you are fully committed to your family. Though our lives have taken different paths and we rarely see each other, I continue to cherish that common bond that we have as sisters in Christ. I count you as a rich, rich blessing in my life.

Scrapbook Gratitude.

It never ceases to amaze me how a scrapbook can communicate a message in a way that nothing else can. My daughter and I worked together to make this "Thank You A-Z" book for her preschool teacher from last year; granted, we just gave it to her last week (Kennedy is now in kindergarten) but you know how the saying goes: Better late than never! The time spent hand-crafting a scrapbook to give as a gift really gives the heart, mind and soul the chance to cultivate a deep level of gratitude. Many times, in the fast-paced busyness that characterizes our culture, the cultivation of gratitude does not have time to fully develop. A scrapbook necessitates slowing down, enjoying the feel of paper and buttons and ribbon, planning and organizing, and just enjoying the process of artistic creation. And there is just something about creating art that opens the heart to joys like gratitude, and connection, and simplicity.

Today's letter of gratitude goes out to my cherished friend, Tonya. As far as number of days goes, I have really not known Tonya for very long. But in the language of the heart and soul, I feel like we are long-time friends and sisters in Christ. Tonya and I have worked together a lot over the past few months as we have planned, organized, and launched CompassKIDS!, the kids' program in our new church. When we get together, Tonya and I spend a lot of time dreaming, vision-casting and just plain laughing as we work for these kids. More times than not, our meetings are 75% dreaming and 25% taking care of the "nitty-gritty" to-do's of children's ministry, but it is good. So good. So good to connect with someone at the heart level. So good to enjoy the gift of laughter. I have learned a lot from Tonya about living with passion, and motherhood, and laughter, and just plain authentic being. She is one of those people who puts others at ease immediately, who can laugh at herself even in the midst of stress, and who just makes people feel good about themselves. She is a very gifted woman, and I consider her friendship to be a big-red-ribbon-and-bow package straight from God. So thanks, Tonya, for your amazing passion for and commitment to kids, and for just being real. I greatly look forward to deepening our friendship and continuing our playing and dreaming in the coming year.

It Takes a Village...

This was the scene at our house tonight. A Monday night, with nothing special planned. Then, all of a sudden, our quiet Monday night turned into a wild neighborhood party of sorts. Three neighbor boys ended up staying for dinner and a very active play date afterward. Here they are, during the quietest part of the evening, eating pizza and watching "Lion King." This might sound like a chaotic night to many, but, really, this is a joy. I always dreamed of having the type of family where I not only had my only children, but where our home was a "hub" of kids running in and out. And that is just what our home is becoming.....I absolutely love it. This may sound like a strange dream, but it is a dream come true for me. I have written before about the wonderful neighbors with which we have been blessed at our new home. These are wonderful Christian families who are highly committed to raising good kids who are on fire for Christ. I feel strongly about the "It Takes a Village" idea, especially in today's culture. Children need a network of support around them; they need to know that their parents and a circle of other caring adults care for them, look out for them, and cheer them on. So today's letter of thanks is going out to my neighbors, the Oetmans, who have done so much to welcome us into the neighborhood and join with us in this amazing and sometimes daunting task of raising these children. Between the two families, we have eight children (they have six!!), so I have learned a lot from Sherry about mothering, and the unique idiosyncracies of children, and taking your children for who they are, where they are, and when they are there. I am so thankful that God placed this amazing family into my family's life, and I look forward to joining with them, along with some other families in our neighborhood, to form "the Village" that will nurture, grow, encourage, and raise these precious, amazing children.

Worth a Sunday Smile.

What to blog about today? I'm not feeling overly philsophical today; in fact, after travelling for the past two days, I am just downright tired. So this will be pretty short and sweet. I decided to just mill through some of my computer photo files to find a photo that just makes me smile. Brings some rays of happiness to my life. This is my sweet five-year-old daughter talking on the phone. On her face are some glasses made from leftover green pipe cleaners; she had just taken off the intricate green-pipe-cleaner hat that she also twisted and worked on for over an hour to create. I love her creativity. Love her sweet smile. Just love her. So my letter of thanks today is going out to my little girl. Because she brings so much to my life each and every day. Because she helps me to think outside of myself. Because she is how I'm making the world a better place. Thanks, Sweet Girl, for just being my sunshine, my laughter, and a very big piece of my heart. You are the best.

Potty-Training....CHECK!

WOO-HOO! This family can now officially scratch "diapers" off of our weekly grocery list. It has been quite a journey that has lasted about 4 months longer than I had hoped, but Hayden has now decided that he is ready to go potty like a big-boy, and noone is happier about this than Mommy! This was a little bit humbling for a child psychologist, who is supposed to have all the answers, right??! Well, we tried pretty much all the strategies.....scheduling, reasoning, bribery, positive reinforcement with candy, encouraging words.....you name it, we tried. And yet I seemed to be forgetting about the basic truth of potty training children: They'll do it on their own when they are ready. So simple. Yet we, as parents, sometimes have our own agendas, and we would rather have children do things in our time rather than in their own. Yes, there seems to be a deeper lesson here, one that I, too, need to be reminded of. All too often, we hurry our children to grow up because it will make our lives easier, or it will be more convenient for the family. Basically, Hayden decided overnight a couple of weeks ago that it was his time, and he hasn't looked back since. I haven't had to change a dirty diaper in over 2 weeks....Praise God! And he even stays entirely dry at night and runs to the bathroom all by himself, even without a reminder, immediately when he wakes up in the morning. He proudly displays the results of his efforts, usually telling us that we need to come and see "his work." The other night, Matt and I both got a huge laugh out of it when Hayden came running into the living room and said, "You want to see? I made the biggest poop in the world!!" He was so proud.....as we his Daddy, as we admired his efforts. So great job, my big boy Hayden, in making this big step toward becoming a big boy and in reminding Mommy to let you do things in your way, in your time, and to just trust the process. Now that he is potty trained, I will need to start preparing for his next major milestone, which will be his starting preschool in January.

Today's letter of thanks is being sent to my college roommate, Susan Livingston. Oh my, have Susie and I shared so many, many experiences together. Susie and I first met on our very first day of college, as we were assigned to be roommates. We pretty much hit it off from day one. Susie then ended up leaving college to transfer to EMU, and when I transferred to University of Michigan the following year, it only made sense that we would live together down in Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor. And so began a whole new round of adventures including living in the "college slums", surviving crazy housemates who we believed were Satan worshippers, befriending homeless men who lived on our porch, Saturday nights spent grocery shopping (which was basically the extent of our social life at that point), wars with unethical slum-lords. I was in Susie's wedding when she married Blue, and Susie (because she was expecting her first child) actually stepped out of my wedding party but served as my very special and honored personal assistant. Susie and I have gone through periods of being very close, but we have also gone through some pretty significant challenges in our friendship. Many of you know.....living together can be highly detrimental to a friendship. But, our friendship is one that has always withstood the challenge, and I believe that is because our friendship is based first and foremost on our common bond as sisters in Christ. I am very thankful for so many things about Susie.....I am thankful for her strong faith and convictions. She is so dedicated to her family and has even assumed the very important role of home-schooling her two beautiful children. Susie has sacrified a lot of her own professional aspirations to focus on the very critical task of mothering. I am thankful for the mutual love of music and harmony and worship that we share. Too, I am thankful for the difficult times that we have been through together, because they have deepened the connection that we have and made us more sensitive people. Sadly, Susie and I don't keep in touch as regularly as we should; but ours is one of those relationships that when we do connect via phone or in person, it is just like "picking up" where we left off. Ours is a friendship of the soul. Susie celebrated her 35th birthday this week on Monday, so this note of thanks comes in timely fashion to say I am thankful for my long-time sister in Christ, Susie.

Wednesday Thoughts

Wednesday. The day that sometimes loses its identity....halfway to Friday. "The hump." Wednesday in our family tends to be a day of odds and ends....finishing up the chores that didn't get done on Monday (which tends to be my heaviest chore and to-do day at home). Recovering from my full day of university work from Tuesday. Thinking about preparations for the weekend. This weekend, I am eagerly looking forward to a day of scrapbooking with my sister-in-laws and mother-in-law on Saturday; it's been a long time since I've gotten any scrapping time, and I will get lots of time the next two weekends. That is my soul time. I plan to make one of those pages the first page that I will post to this blog.....my scanner is not hooked up at the moment, so once I get my scrap room reassembled after the painting (hopefully tonight's project!), I will get it hooked up and ready to use. Today, Hayden and I have been just hanging out, enjoying each other and playing. We also spent part of the morning dancing to this really upbeat song called "Big House." It goes something like this "Come and go with me, to my Father's House. Come and go with me, to...my....Father's....House. It's a BIG BIG house, with lots and lots of rooms. A BIG BIG table, with lots and lots of food. A BIG BIG yard, where we can play football.....TOUCHDOWN! A BIG BIG house, it's my Father's house." Hayden loves it because it's high energy and involves a football......he sings to the top of his lungs and does all the motions...what a kid! He truly is the ZEST in my life! This morning, after the big election day, I feel this strange sense of let down. I'm so happy that the commercials are done and the "vote for me" phone calls have stopped, but I have a strange sense of loss. Yes, I voted and exercised my right and privilege; but part of me is sad that there are many people out there who put their hearts, souls, and savings into these campaigns, and must be so disappointed today. I know, I know.....that is all part of the risk and the democratic process......but I can't help but feel for the candidates who have spent the past months and years of their lives chasing this dream, which has now, at least for a time, ended. BUT, it does remind me that to follow dreams opens us up the risk of loss, of failure. At least for a time. And then the hurt dulls, and we resume the move toward our dreams. To step out toward a dream, and to pursue it with all your heart, that is one of the great soul-joys of life.

My note of thanks for today goes to the principal of my daughter's elementary school, Ms. Barb Johnson. I have not know Ms. Johnson for long, but she has already played a key role in Kennedy's learning experience. She is one of those people who just exudes a love for kids and a deep love for learning and inquiry. She encourages the kids to "wonder" deeply about the world, and has daily "Wonderings" where she poses challenging questions and urges kids to seek the answers....to inquire....to learn.....to become excited about their lives. I had the opportunity to work on some cases last year with Ms. Johnson when I was doing some evaluations at the school. Unmistakeably clear was her passion for kids and nurturing them to reach their full potential as learners and as people. This thanks goes to you, Ms. Johnson, for the role you play in the learning and development of my daughter and all the fortunate children at Brown Elementary School.

Going on a Bear Hunt.

These are some photos from our very own Sunday afternoon "Bear Hunt" in the woods behind our house. We started out telling the kids that we might see some deer or raccoon, but they were soon convinced that the tracks that we saw were actually BEAR TRACKS! It was such a gorgeous fall afternoon, and we enjoyed some great exercise and some very fun time with our two kids and two of our neighbor kids. I love that we live near families where we "share" kids--sometimes my kids are there, and other times all the others kids are at our house. It is a really neat and supportive community of families, one with which we feel truly blessed. This is one of those rich Sunday blessings that I might have missed if I had been catching up on work or folding laundry or running errands; there are many different ways that we worship and praise our Creator, and I believe that this walk was viewed by God as worship just as much as the songs and prayers that we delivered to him earlier in the day at church.

Today's letter of thanks is being sent to a woman who has been one of my best friends, a person who has both challenged me and supported me, a person whom I feel extremely blessed to call SISTER. This letter is going out to my sister, Kendra. Where do I begin with trying to express all that Kendra has meant and continues to mean to me, and to describe all the ways that she has influenced me? Kendra is kind and compassionate; she stands up for what she believes but is so balanced and strong in her convictions. She is not afraid to ask the tough questions, but she does so with tact and love. It has been amazing to watch Kendra find her place in a challenging career, make lasting impact in the lives of so many of her patients, and become a strong advocate for health (not to mention correct lifting techniques!). I am thankful for Kendra's loving spirit, her unwavering faith in Christ, and her amazing strength and beauty. I am so thankful for a lifetime of fond memories including play time as kids; playing basketball, volleyball and softball together; adventures in college; helping each other through broken hearts; living together in our Mason apartment; long talks in person and on the phone....and the list could go on indefinitely. Kendra is coming up very soon on her one-year-anniversary of being married to the love of her life, Dan, and it has been incredible to see her embrace the role of wife and homemaker for her new family. So this thank you to Kendra comes along with a sincere "Thank You" to Dan, too, for answering my sister's prayers and for making her so fulfilled and contented. You two are a great picture of love, commitment, and faith....in seeking and finding God's best. Thank you for all that you have brought to my life and the lives of our kids.

On Sundays....I Breathe.

I love Sundays. I get to worship at church with my family. I get to worship with my children in the CompassKIDS! program at our church, and there is simply nothing more beautiful than seeing my children having fun, praising our awesome God, and singing and dancing like they and God were the only ones in the room. After church, I just get to be, really BE, with my family at our home. Not too long ago, I viewed Sundays as the day to catch up with what I didn't get done on the other six days. The day to get a headstart on Monday's tasks. The day to travel, to shop, to run around. But my views on Sundays have transformed drastically in the past few months. As a busy mom, wife, and professor, I JUST NEED TIME TO BREATHE. Spiritually, I mean. Our God modeled for us the importance of taking a time of rest each week, and when we take Sundays for breathing and resting, we please Him and nourish ourselves to face the challenges and demands of the rest of the week. So I have made the conscious effort to keep Sundays sacred...no more household tasks (the laundry is still there Monday morning, believe me!)....no more grading......no more traveling here and there every single weekend......Sundays are for lounging, for resting, for walking in the woods with Matt and th kids, for reading books to and with my kids, for just BEING...no guilt, no "I should be...."......just following the model of our God and getting the fresh air He knows we so desperately need. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Ah, God is good! Sundays are a gift. Thank you, God, for the fresh, invigorating, soul-refreshing air of Sundays.

November Snow

Along with November in our little part of West Michigan has come our first real dusting of snow, maybe a quarter-inch. Of course, both kids have outgrown their boots and winter coats from last year. This means that Hayden has been wearing Kennedy's purple butterfly boots from last year, while Kennedy has been having to stay on the sidewalk during recess (to her great, great dismay) because she didn't have any boots that fit. So, we made a trek to Sears on Thursday night, and Kennedy picked out a new Lands End coat, bright pink boots, hat/mittens/scarf, and we ordered the matching snowpants. It looks like this year's theme is pink and furry, because she chose boots with fur trim along with the hat/mittens/scarf with furry trim...I must say that she looked absolutely precious as she "tried out" her new winter clothes in the front yard. No more staying on the sidewalk for her! I love my kids' reactions to snow....to them, it is magic and fun and clarity and freedom. They love seeing how their footprints leave tracks in the snow, and they have been making winding trails through the front yard, laughing, running, and having so much fun. Now Kennedy is looking forward to her first official "snow day" where she gets to stay home from school and play out in the snow all day long. I tell her stories about snow days we had growing up in Northern Michigan....the joy of hearing the TV announcer call our your school.....spending the mornings lounging and watching cartoons.......the day of freedom and play that stretched before us, playing outside with neighbor kids.....she loves school, as I did, but there is just something absolutely wonderful about a snow day.

My third letter of thanks is going out to my best friend from high school, Julie (Wyma) Kitson. Basically, from the time we started kindergarten to the time we graduated from high school, Julie and I were inseparable. Sure, we had our ups and downs as any adolescent friendship does, but when I think back to growing up and those who influenced me, Julie is one of those friends who will always be in my heart. Special memories that I have include summer days swimming in their family pool; organizing all sorts of neighborhood clubs so we could "teach" and "evangelize" the other kids in the neighborhood (oh my!); playing softball, basketball and volleyball together; sleep overs; watching scary movies and "The Incredible Hulk" at her house on Friday nights (my parents wouldn't let us watch them....sorry, Mom and Dad); having to walk home in the dark after watching those scary movies (oh my!!); playing house and Glamour Dolls and so many other imaginative games; playing Ms. Pac Man over many pizza dinners at Kelly's Restaurant; showing each other new school clothes, Christmas gifts, etc.; walking to school together; being cross-guards together. The list goes one. Julie and I took very different paths after high school, as she was married quite soon while I spent nearly 9 years in college and graduate school before getting married and starting a family; but, we have always maintained a connection of the heart. I am thankful to Julie for the longevity of our friendship; even now, when we get together when I visit McBain, we talk as if we lived next door to each other. We share our experiences of being a wife and mother, and we just connect. We share a love for taking photos and making scrapbooks to celebrate our lives and families. She now is married with four beautiful children, and she is a really wonderful Mom who is entirely devoted to her family. I am thankful for that devotion, for her faithfulness, and for the part that she plays in the memories that I have of my growing-up years. Thanks, Julie, for always being a part of my life and heart.

A time for.......

...organization! It seems that everytime I get my scrap-room organized and just the way I like it....we move again! We have been in this new house for just over a year now, and basically, this is what my scrap room has looked like since we moved....with an occasional shifting around of the stuff. No wonder I get more done when I go to our local scrap store to work! My goal over the next 8 weeks is to get this room in order so I can get some serious scrapping done over Christmas break......I chose a really nice color for the walls....sort of an apricot-ish color called summer sun, which is one of the colors in the Company Story quilt for the bed in that room....it is a color that just makes me smile. I have two walls done so far--with "help" from my two kids"--and it already just brings more of an upbeat and creative tone to the room. I just know this color will stimulate my creative juices to overflowing!! I have already picked out some cubed shelves for one wall and can't wait to get my cute jars of embellishments out and displayed.....when I unpack, it's going to be just like a scrapbooker's best Christmas! I can't even remember all of the goodies that I have. I will post pictures of this creative work in progress as I complete it. I'm thinking about using the transformation as one of my entries for the CK HOF competition that I AM going to enter this year....we'll see how it goes.

As for today's letter of thanks, it goes to Mr. and Mrs. Racignol, two teachers who I had growing up in little McBain. Mrs. Racignol was my second grade teacher and just a wonderful woman who loved,nurtured and challenged her students. I remember how she just made learning so fun and made us each believe we were special and capable.....memories of the footstep spelling words on the classroom wall, the telephone booth she made out of a big refrigerator box, playing (and usually winning!) Around the World, just her nurturance and interest she took in me as a person. Mrs. Racignol is married to Mr. Racignol, who was my high school softball coach and my math teacher. Mr. Racignol was one of those men who just has fun, no matter what he is going or where he is. He constantly told jokes, most of them off-color, and just had a great spirit about him. He believed in me as a student and a softball player; I distinctly remember when I was in elementary school and we attended the state finals game where the varsity softball team was playing. We went to the restaurant to eat, and I remember Mr. Racignol told me "You're going to be my pitcher in a few years." And I took that challenge to heart. And a few years later, there I was, pitching for the varsity team as a freshman/sophomore and eventually earning several honors and going on to play and make all-district honors at the college level. Mr. and Mrs. Racignol also influenced Matt and I as a couple. When Matt first moved to McBain, they befriended him and golfed with him and just really connected with him. So when Matt and I were engaged, it was only natural that we looked to them to be our master and mistress of ceremonies. They did such an awesome job and really just blessed us with all the work, organization and creativity they put into our day. And to top it all off, they presented us with the coolest gift....a nativity set.......and it wasn't just a one time presentation. Several times throughout the first year of our marriage, a little wrapped gift would appear or arrive. Yes, another piece to the set. This was truly the gift that lasted and kept on giving. But, even more, their influence in my life and in our marriage is one that will continue to grow and thrive along with us. Thanks from our hearts, Mr. and Mrs. R.!! Every year at holiday time when we unpack the Christmas decorations and set out our nativity, you are close on our minds and in our prayers. I pray that my children will have second grade teachers, math teachers, and coaches who take the gift of educating children to heart as seriously as you do....you will never, ever be forgotten.

23 Degrees of Gratitude

OK, I've thought about this for too many years. This is the year to take action. To say out loud what my heart has been saying for many years. This is the year. I'm not going to let one more day go by without saying some very important thank-yous. Time to let some important people in my life know what they mean to me, how they have impacted me, how their lives intersecting with mine has changed me for the better. Each day in November leading up the Thanksgiving, I am going to write a handwritten letter to the people who have been major influences in my life. The first one, which goes out in the mail today, is written to Ron Scott, a youth pastor from my junior high years, who took interest in a young girl with lots of dreams who just needed people to believe in her, encourage her, and affirm her. Ron and Karen were the kind of people whose home was always open, along with their hearts. It was a place to have fun, be challenged, be accepted, and learn about what it meant to follow Jesus in a real, life-changing way. Ron had a great sense of humor, a great heart for God, and a desire to help kids grow in their faith. I remember the day I learned that Ron and Karen would be moving away from our small town to pastor another church, and I was so sad to say good-bye. A few weeks back, I learned that Ron now has inoperable brain cancer that will eventually end his life, barring any divine intervention. So my first letter is to Ron. Thanks, Ron, for helping me to develop my faith and for taking the leap to serve God with all of me. I hope that my own children have a youth pastor who is as influential to them as you have been to me.

Always Lick the Spoon!

I have a little book entitled, "Really Important Stuff My Kids Have Taught Me", and I really appreciate and resonate this authors' efforts to see what kids can teach us....I couldn't agree more! I have learned SO MANY deep and life-changing lessons from my kids.....some examples.......when you are out looking for worms, don't miss the beautiful dragonfly that flies by you........lunch tastes much better when you eat it on a blanket on the floor for a "carpet picnic"........you can never have too many tea parties......and, my personal favorite......always lick the spoon! Life throws us lots of ingredients, some we welcome and others are less tantalizing initially.....all the ingredients of life combine to create our lives, our "deck of cards", what we have to work with. And we are all richly, richly blessed. "Lick the spoon" reminds me each and every day to get every last drop of what life has to offer.....savor everything in this wonderfully crazy life......and it doesn't matter if your face (and hands and clothes and ears.....) gets dirty and sticky in the process!